Hillbilly Elegy

birthrates than the native population.^6
In short, my grandparents’
experience was extremely common.
Significant parts of an entire region
picked up shop and moved north. Need
more proof? Hop on a northbound
highway in Kentucky or Tennessee the
day after Thanksgiving or Christmas, and
virtually every license plate you see
comes from Ohio, Indiana, or Michigan
—cars full of hillbilly transplants
returning home for the holidays.
Mamaw’s family participated in the
migratory flow with gusto. Of her seven
siblings, Pet, Paul, and Gary moved to
Indiana and worked in construction.
Each owned a successful business and